Automatic expansion-valve for refrigerating apparatus.



, PATENTED MAY'14', i907.

. A. H. EDDY. AUTOMATIC EXPANSION VALVE FOR REFRIGERATING APPARATUS.

APPLIUATION FILED JAILQB. 1906 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR H. EDDY, OF WINDSOR, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES E. SHEPARD, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

AUTOMAT IC EXPANSIONHVALVE FOR REFRIGERATING APPARATUS- Patented May 14,}907.

Application filed January 26, 1906. Serial No. 297,978.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR H. EDDY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Windsor, inthe county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Automatic Expansion-Valve for Refrigcrating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an expansion valve for refrigerating apparatus which automatically opens and closes for regulating the flow of the refrigerating fluid to the ex ansion coil according to the temperature the compartment in which the expansion coil is located.

The object of the invention is to produce a simple and durable apparatus of this nature which is ve sensitive and may be arranged so as to be c osely controlled by the temperature of the atmosphere of the compartment being cooled or by the temperature of a liquid inwhich the expansion coil may be submerged or by the mean temperature of the liquid and t e atmosphere in the compartment.

The apparatus illustrated as embodying the invention has a valve for controlling the flow of refrigerating fluid, usually ammonia, which is so connected with a diaphragm on the expansion side that the pressure of the refrigerating fluid tends to shut the valve and stop the flow of the fluid, while the tension of a spring or springs thrusting against the opposite side of the diaphragm tends to openthe valve and rmit the flow of fluid, the s ring tension eing governed by the eondi-. tion of a diaphragm which is subject to the ex ansion and contraction of a confined fl'llld, preferably alcohol, that is exposed to the temperature? of the atmos here of the com artment being cooled, or o the liquid in whic the expansion coil is submerged, or to both the temperature of the atmosphere and the liquid.

Figure .1 of the drawings shows a central vertical section of one form of the valve.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating an arrangement of the apparatus in a refrigerating box.

"The inlet 1 of this valve is desi ed to be connected with a pipe 2 which lea s from the receptacle containing the refrigerating fluid, preferably ammonia in liquid form and under pressure. A passage 3 connects the absorbing heat from the compartment to be cooled. This coil in the drawings is indicated as arranged. in a tank 1.3, preferably containing brine, in a refrigerating box 14.

The other end of the expansion coil is do signed to be connected b a pipe with the ump which is employs to cause the circuation of the refrigerating fluid.

About the upper end of the port through the block is a valve seat 16 and the valve which is movable on the pressure side toward and from the seat is mounted on a stem 18 that is attached to the diaphragm 17 that is subject to the ressure of the expanded refrigerating fluid in the expansion chamber and 0011.. The valve stem is guided in its movement by the perforated lug'19.

Underneath the valve diap ragm is a pad 20 and held up against this pad by a spindle 21 that is supported by a pad 22 on a diaphragm 23, is a spider-shaped s ring 24. he pad 20 is also held up by the egs 25 of the washer 26 which is supported on the spiral spring 27.

her is connected by a pipe 29 with one or more hydro-thermic rece tacles 30 and 31 located Where desiredin i518 compartment to be cooled. This chamber and these pipes and receptacles are desi ned to befilled with an expansible fluid, suc as alcohol, so that the expansion and contraction of the fluid due to variations of itstemperature will act upon the spring diaphragm and thus influence the tension of the springs against the valve clia hragm.

he initial tension of the springs is adjusted by turmng the nut 32 on the hubs 33 and 34 which are provided with ri ht and left-hand threads, and drawing toget or or separating the frames 35 and 36 which contain the sprin and the spring spindle.

As illustrated in Fig. 2, one regulating fluid receptacle may be located in a brine tank and one may be located in the atmosphere in any tension of the springs to produce the desired result. If the regulating fluid receptacle is only subjected to the temperature of the atmosphere in the cold storage compartment the receptacle is adjusted in or out of an insulated case or shield 37 to the proper amount to cause the temperature to effect the necessary expansion or contraction of the regulating fluid to effect the desired result. If'aregulating fluid receptacle is placed in a brine tank and another in the atmosphere at another locality in the compartment and both are connected, as shown in Fig. 2, the receptacles are adjusted so that the mean temperature of the bririe and the atmosphere acting on the confined fluid will produce the desired effect. This arrangement obviates the necessity of carefully proportioning the size of the regulating fluid receptacle and quantity of regulating fluid to the capacity of the expansion coils.

In this apparatus the pressure of the expanded refrigerating fluid is exerted on the valve diaphragm in such manner as to tend to close the valve which controls the flow of the fluid to the'expansion coil. The pressure of the springs tends to open the valve and permit theflow'of fluid to the refrigerating coil andthe tension of the springs is governed by the pressure of the regulating fluid on the spring diaphragm, which pressure depends of course upon the-condition of the fluid-due to the temperature to which it is subjected. In other words the opening or closing of the refrigerating fluid valve is determined by the difference vbetween the refrigerating fluid pressure on the valve diaphragm and the spring ressure onthe valve diaphragm as varied y the expansion and contract1on of there'gulating fluid due to its .temperature,

that is, the refrigerating fluid pressure closes the valve and the sprin pressure controlled by the temperature 0 the compartment cooledby the refrigerating fluid opens the valve.

When the temperature in the compartment cooled drops to the desired degree the contraction of the regulating fluid relieves the sprlng presure on the under side of the valve diaphragm to such an extent that the fluid pressure on the upper side of the diaphragm will close the valve an'dstop the flow of refrigcrating fluid to the expansion coil When the temperaturd in the compartment rises above the desired degree theexpansion of theregulatlng fluidincreases the s ring tension on the under side of the valve iaphragm to such an extent that it overcomes the refrigerating fluid pressure and opens the valve and allows suiiicient refrigerating fluid to flow to the expansion coil to bring about a drop in the temperature.

The invention claimed is 1. In a refri crating apparatus, the combination of a va ve for controlling the flow of refrigerating fluid, a diaphragm located on the outlet side of the valve adjacent to the fluid port and exposed to the pressure of the refrigeratin fluid that passes the valve, a stem exten ing through the port and joining said valve and diaphragm, a spring thrust against the diaphragm in opposition to the pressure of the refri crating fluid, a diaphragm parallel with t e first-mentioned diaphragm, a stem extending between the two diaphragms, and a thermal regulator sub-' ject to the temperature of the refrigerating fluid on the expansion side of the valve communicating with and adapted to affect the last-mentioned diaphragm op ositely to the refrigerating fluid, substantial y as specified.

2. In a'refrigerating apparatus, in combination, an expansion coil, a valve for controlling the flow of refrigerating fluid to the coil, a diaphra In located on the outlet side of the valve adjacent to the fluid port, and exposed to the pressure of therefrigerating fluid that passes the valve, a stem extending through the portand joining said valve and diaphragm, a spring thrusting against the diaphra -m in opposition to the pressure of the refrigerating fluid, a diaphragm parallel with the first-mentioned dia hragm, a stem extendin between the two iaphragms, and a therma re ulator located adjacent to and affected-by tfle temperature of the expansion coil, and communicating with and adapted the pressure of the refrigerating fluid that passes the valve, a stem connecting the valve and said diaphragm, a spring thrusting against the diaphragm in opposition to the pressure of' the refrigerating fluid, a diaphragm having an upwardly extending stem,

a sprm between said stem and the under side of t e first-mentioned diaphragm, and a ITO thermal regulator subject to the temperature ofthe refrigerating fluid on the expansion side of the valve connected with and adapted to act upon the last-mentioned diaphragm in opposition to the ressure of the refrigerating fluid, substantial y as specified.

4.. In a refrigerating 'a paratus in combination, anexpansion coi a brine tank containing the ex ansion coil, a regulating device connecte With the expansion coil, said brine and the atmosphere in the compartdevice comprising a valve for controlling the flow of refrigerating fluid to the coil, a diaphragm on the expansion side of the valve and subiect to the pressure of the refrigerating fil1 l( for closing the valve, a spring arranged to open the valve against the fluid pressure, a diaphragm havmg a stemarranged to thrust against the first-mentioned diaphragm, a thermal regulator located in the brine tank and connected with the lastmentioned dia hragm, and a thermal regulator located in t e compartment cooled by the expansion coil and connected with the last. mentioned dia hragm in such manner that variations of t e mean temperatureof the ment will cause fluctuations of the last-mentioned diaphragm, substantially as specified.

5. In a refrigerating apparatus in combination, a valve for controlling the flow of rcfrigerating fluid, a diaphragm arranged on the expansion side of t 1e valve and subject to the pressure of the refrigerating fluid for closing the valve, a flat spring and a spiral spring arran ed under the diaphragm in oposition to t e pressure of the refrigerating uid, for o ening the valve, a diaphragm arranged to. etermine the tension of one of the springs, and a thermo regulator adapted to be acted upon by the temperature produced by the refrigerating fluid on the expansion side of the valve, for actuating the sprlng regulating diaphragm, substantially as specified.

ARTHUR II. EDDY.

Witnesses I HARRY R. WILLIAMs, ETHEL M. LOWE. 

